Michael Kistner, the 20-year-old victim, was not harmed. He said the thieves stole money and his cellphone before fleeing. Kistner and his family returned to the scene in search of his keys.

"They just kind of ran up with the knife, just kind of grabbed me and put it to my throat," Kistner said.

The robbery happened around 12:15 a.m. Monday. Kistner, who works at a nearby Domino's Pizza, answered a call for a delivery in the 100 block of Olen Drive in Linthicum. He arrived at the address but no one answered the door. After he returned to the shop, and another call came in asking that the pizza be delivered again.

"I come out to meet them, and I knock on the door one more time, and still no answer. I go to turn around and go back to my car, and they just came up and ambushed me. One of the guys held a big knife, a machete, to my throat," Kistner said.

Police said the robbers came from around the side of a vacant house across the street.

"He's approached by four suspects, one actually pulls out a machete, which is certainly unusual, puts it to his throat, demands money. As that's taking place, there are a couple suspects rummaging through his pockets, and the suspects also (went) through his car, so they wound up taking food, money and his cellphone before fleeing on foot," Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said.

Felicia Gooding, who lives in the area, said she worries about her nice quiet neighborhood.

"It's really scary. We've lived here for about 14-15 years, and we have little ones now that are part of the family, and this is the community they're growing up in," Gooding said.

Kistner said his first reaction to the robbery was anger. He said he had knocked on doors for help and called police.

"I just kind of completely lost it after I got off the phone with the operator. It was just kind of, "Oh my God, I'm thankful to be alive.' It was just crazy," Kistner said.

Police don't have much of a description of the assailants, who were described as three black men and a white man, all wearing masks and dark clothing.

After the experience, Kistner's parents have told him to get a different job.